


i'll take the lead

by ebonynightwriter



Series: Shallura Week 2017 [2]
Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Canon Universe, Dancing, Disguise, F/M, Fun / Humor, One-Shot, Shallura Week 2017, Tension, Undercover
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-04
Updated: 2017-07-04
Packaged: 2018-11-23 02:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,566
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11393973
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ebonynightwriter/pseuds/ebonynightwriter
Summary: “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?”





	i'll take the lead

**Author's Note:**

> **A/N:** I'm going to do _all_ the cliche plot ideas and no one can stop me.
> 
> -.-
> 
> **[shallura week (2017) // day 2](http://ebonynightwriter.tumblr.com/tagged/mine:%20shallura%20week%202017)** · names / hands
> 
> -.-

“You ready for this, Princess?” Lance says, eyes darting between her and the hall. Allura adjusts the front of the dress, double checking her skin was the same lime-green tone as Lady Olett, the Toili noblewoman she’d be impersonating for the evening.

“Yes,” she replies. “I’ll head to the gala to observe the Duke and get the whereabouts of the Galra transport. Make sure the man Kolivan sent is ready in at least thirty dobashes. We’ll need to rendezvous before then to relay the information Pidge and Keith. Radio silence until then.”

“Right,” he says, taking another look out the door. “Well, if you’re going, you’d better go now, Princess. Looks like the Pvexian escorts are coming for Olett.”

Lance presses his back to the wall as Allura walks through the door, giving him a look as she does. He nods back, and she leaves without another word. As soon as she’s out of sight, Lance slowly backs away from the door, bayard weapon in hand as he heads back to the open window.

“Okay, guys,” he whispers into his comm. “She’s on the move. Heading to you, Pidge.”

.

.

.

“I don’t like this,” Coran moans, face pressed into his control panel. “I really _really_ don’t like this.”

“Everything will be fine, Coran” Shiro says from behind, crossing his arms. “The Princess knows what she’s doing, it’s just some information gathering.”

“But what if someone recognizes her or they play some weird funky tune that everyone but her knows?!” he asks, exaggerated tears running down his face. “Oh, maybe it’d be better if I’d gone instead…”

Shiro sighs, leaving the mechanic to his worries as the doors to the bridge open.

“Hunk, there you are,” he says, spotting the Yellow Paladin hanging outside the threshold. “How are we doing with Kotak?”

Hunk fidgets behind the doorframe.

“We might have a _slight_ problem…”

.

.

.

“Hmm, Lady Olett, you look as lovely as ever!”

“Thank you, Your Grace,” Allura says, preforming a quick curtsy to the Duke. “I’m am honored to have been invited to such a magnificent event.”

“Hmm, please my dear, call me Nevio, hmm!” The Duke says, gripping the edge of his jacket with his three long fingers. “It has been long, has it not? Hmm, I cannot wait to hear of your travels!”

“Thank you, Nevio,” she replies. “But I think you will have to finish greeting the other guests before we speak.”

“Hmm, this is true!” Nevio says, nodding happily. “Well then, hmm, I will see you inside!”

Allura smiles, bowing one last time as she follows the mechanical knights to a large ballroom. Inside mingled all manner of noble aliens, each dressed in fine clothes. Allura finds a spot beside the large glass window at the edge of the dance floor, stretched before her lied a sea of clouds with long, spiraling towers ascending from its depths every so often. With luck, she’d be able to get the Duke to spill which ones the Galra were using to transport materials from the planet’s coring operation. If they could put a stop to it, then the populations below would be free to live life without the nobles in their floating palaces taking everything they needed to survive.

Her hand tightens to a fist just thinking about it.

“They’re from the same planet,” she says. “They shouldn’t have the power to decide who lives and dies just through birthright. Ridiculous!”

“Hmm, did you say something, Lady Olett?”

“Duke Nevio!” Allura exclaims, jumping out of her skin. “I wasn’t expecting you so soon.”

“Hmm, I rushed through it, so we would have a chance to talk, hmm!” he says. “Now come! Let us walk, let us talk, hmm!”

.

.

.

Thirty dobashes is _not_ enough time to get information out of the Duke. Least not when the information did not pertain to _him_.

“Hmm, and then I said to them, _‘you must be mad’_ , and, hmm, that they were!” he continued. “Then we, hmm, threw them out!”

“Fascinating,” Allura replies. 

“Hmm, yes! I agree!”

“Nevio,” Allura says. “Might I ask you about your towers in the clouds?”

“Hmm, what about them, hmm?” The Duke asks. “They are merely used to transport materials from the surface, hmm!”

“But they must be all connected somewhere, yes?” she asks. “Or go through facilities?”

“Hmm, not all of them are used anymore, hmm, since the main resources have been dug up,” he replies. “But, hmm, we still have a number of them operational, hmm. Why would you like to know?”

“Oh, well… We were considering setting up a similar system on Toili.”

“Ah, of course, hmm! You wish to learn from the masters!”

“Yes, Your Grace,” Allura replies. “Now then, how often are your shipments gathered? We’d like to agree to a similar arrangement with the commander in our system.”

“Hmm, yes, you see we—”

The Duke stops, looking ahead at a place beyond Allura’s vision.

“Hmm, you will have to excuse me, My Lady, hmm,” he says. “There is another matter I must attend to, hmm.”

“But if you could just—”

The Duke goes off without another word, parting through the guests in haste as he makes his way across the large room. Allura tries to follow him, but she loses track of the noble when she accidently runs into someone in her way. The Duke disappears within the crowd.

“I’m sorry, sir,” she begins. “I didn’t—”

“Princess,” A soft voice speaks. “It’s me.”

She looks up to meet a tall man wearing a fitted armored-vest and a high-visor helmet. Allura squints into the mask. It was not the creature she’d been expecting.

Then, she realizes.

“ _Shiro?_ ” she says, somewhat flabbergasted, quickly looking around them before she leads them away from the group. She spins around once they’re at a vacant wall, leaning in to whisper “What are you doing here? Kolivan’s man is supposed to be the one in disguise!”

“Slight change of plans,” Shiro says. “He uhh… couldn’t fit into the clothes Keith found.”

“ _Slight_ change?” she repeats. “This entire mission relies on us finding and stopping how the Pvexian’s are using their coring operation to gather resources for the Galra. How are we supposed to do that if you aren’t there to form Voltron?”

“We’ll just have to improvise,” he shrugs. “Did you get the information from the Duke?” 

“No, he ran off somewhere just as I was getting close.” Allura sighs, looking out to the crowds of guests in their way. “There’s too many here, we’ll never cover the ground in time.”

“Well, we’ll just have to find him another way, won’t we?” Shiro says, holding out his hand. Allura looks back to him, and gives a slight smile.

“Very well.”

She slips her hand onto his, and they journey to the floor. The crowd parts for them, and within moments of stepping on they are amidst a blur of twirls, sways and swings. To her surprise, Shiro is as light on his feet here as he is in combat, each movement beaming with poise and purpose.

However…

“What are you doing?” she asks, leaning close as he pulls her in from a twirl.

“Uh, dancing?” he asks, more to himself than to her. “Isn’t that what we’re supposed to be doing?”

“Well, yes…” she says, glancing at the looks they were gaining from the crowd around them. “But you’re messing up the roles. In Pvexian court, the person of higher birth is supposed to take the lead with these sorts of things. You’re drawing too much attention wearing that guard’s uniform. I’ll take the lead, you focus on finding the Duke.”

Shiro nods. “Got it.”

And so, they switch. Allura keeps an eye out to the crowd as she and Shiro dance around the floor in slow, even strides. Occasionally, she twirls and extends him as the music calls, keeping up appearances with the other nobles around her. His frame is harder to work with, but eventually, after sending him out in a spin, he comes back, fingers slipping gently between hers as he says

“I found him.”

“Where?”

“The west entrance,” Shiro replies. “It looks like he’s talking to some—” 

Allura goes off before he can finish, pulling him by the hand. Pushing through the crowd, Allura keeps her eyes locked on Nevio’s head the moment she spots him. She goes faster, letting go of Shiro’s hand as she finally reaches the edge of the crowd—

—only to see Prince Lotor standing in front of Nevio. 

“Hmm, there she is!” The Duke says, catching sight of her. “This is the one I was talking about, hmm, sir! The Lady who was interested in our operation! Perhaps you will speak with her, hmm?”

Lotor looks up, gazing at Allura with little interest.

“Another time,” he says. “We have more important matters to take care of, Nevio. I trust you will inform us should you find anything suspicious.”

Allura takes a breath.

“Your Highness,” she calls. “Might I trouble you for a short dance? I’m sure you’d be able to answer all my questions by the time we’re through.”

Shiro squeezes her shoulder.

“What are you doing?” he asks.

“ _Improvising_ ,” she mutters through her teeth. “Quick, look around while the crowd’s distracted. I’ll see if I can get the information from the Prince.”

Shiro looks down at her. “This isn’t a good—”

Lotor steps before them.

“Who is this?” he questions. “I saw you dancing before.”

“He’s just my bodyguard!” she explains. “I’m afraid none of the other nobles I asked were in the mood for dancing, so he took me out to the floor.”

The Prince smiles, slowly looking Shiro over. “Well, if that is the best partner you can scrounge up, then I suppose I’ll _have_ to abide. There’s no one better than me, after all.”

“Thank you, Your Highness,” Allura replies. “I am honored.”

“Yes,” Lotor says, holding his hand to. “You should.”

The room goes silent as Lotor leads her to the floor. All the other nobles leave the floor, and Allura braces herself, walking smoothly to the middle of the room. The music begins, and the Prince pulls her in for a sudden dip. She hangs above the floor for a moment before he pulls her up. Close together, they begin to sway in wide steps across the dance floor. Allura takes the time they are moving to look around the room, where she spots Shiro away from the crowd, watching them with the eyes of Burlovian Snapjaw. 

“So what has you so interested in the workings of this world?” Lotor asks. “I hadn’t heard of any interest in coring operations from your system.”

Allura smiles, looking Lotor right in the eyes. “My people simply wish to do what’s right for the universe. Knowing what is happening here will help that.”

She goes out for a spin, he reels her in.

“And what about you?” she asks. “What brings the Prince of the Galra Empire to a place like this?”

Lotor glances away.

“If you must know, we heard rumors at High Command that the Altean ship was spotted in this system,” he explains. “We needed to make sure the facilities here were not under threat.”

He lets her go.

“Your dance is over,” Lotor says. 

“But isn’t the planet’s surface surrounded by a particle shield?” she asks. “They wouldn’t be able to get past that easily.”

“Not without one of these,” Lotor says, tapping a finger on a small card around his belt. “There is always the chance they may have gotten one. My men are doing a sweep of the planet from top to bottom. If the Altean ship is here, we’ll find it soon enough.”

He turns. Allura steps toward him. 

“Wait—”

“—LET ME _THROUGH!_ ”

The entire room pauses to look to the entrance stairs, where Lady Olett (the _real_ Lady Olett) stands, dressed in her undergarments with two guards at her sides. Face twisted with rage, she looks directly at the Duke Nevio, jabbing a finger in Allura’s direction.

“ _Who_ is that?” she yells. “Why are they wearing _my_ dress?!”

“Hmm, what?” the Duke asks, looking between the women. “There are two, hmm, of you?”

Before anything can be done, a high-pitched sound goes off in the room. Lotor reaches for a communication device at his hip, holding it in front of him.

“What is it?” 

_“Prince Lotor,”_ a Galra says. _“Four Voltron Lions were spotted in Section 5-G. We’re chasing them down now.”_

Lotor lowers the device.

“If Voltron _is_ here,” he says, turning slowly. “Then— _oof_!”

Lotor tumbles to the floor as Allura draws her fist back, skin returning to its normal color. The crowd around them explodes in a burst of gasps and whispers, and Shiro breaks through them, removing his helmet as he rushes to Allura’s side. Two noblemen help Lotor off the floor, who smiles, lip bloodied.

“So…” Lotor says. “The Altean Princess and Witch’s Champion have both graced me with their presence. And here I thought I’d have to scourge the whole universe tracking you down.”

Shiro raises his hand at the Prince.

“Sorry,” he says, hand aglow. “We’re not sticking around.”

_“Guards!”_ Lady Olett shouts. “Seize that imposter!”

“Hmm, yes!” The Duke says. “Seize them, hmm!”

The crowd flees as automated soldiers enter the room wielding electrified spears. They quickly surround Allura and Shiro, forcing them back to the large windows at the end of the room. Lotor stands at the front of the group, hands clasped behind his back.

“Surrender,” he says. “And we will not harm you.”

“Never,” Allura snarls.

Lotor shrugs, lifting a hand. “So be it.”

He _snaps_. A bot from the right strikes first.

Shiro leans, ducking to the side as he thrusts his hand into the mech’s chest. Pulling the spear from its grasp as it falls to the floor, he looks to his left, where Allura dodges the spear of another soldier.

_“Allura!”_ he shouts, tossing the spear with an overhead throw. She catches it with ease, and thrusts it into the head of the mech closest to her. Shiro takes care of another near him, and goes to her side.

“Any ideas?” he asks, ducking under the swipe of a spear. Allura swings at the bot, knocking it to the floor.

“Just one,” she says, glancing to the windows at their backs, with miles of cloud beyond that. Shiro follows her gaze, and understands.

“Well,” he grins. “You take the lead.”

She nods as he takes out another.

“Now!”

With that, they run at the glass. Allura throws her spear moments before they hit, and they break through with ease, shards sparkling in the starlight as they free fall through the clouds. Shiro reaches for her, and she stretches her hand to him, fingers slipping through another before finally clasping together.

Allura presses something at her wrist, and a few moments later a small shuttle swoops in from below to catch them both. Once secured, Shiro turns on his communicator, where a flurry of voices wait on the other end.

“What’s— Yes, Coran, she’s here – Where are you now?”

Shiro sighs, leaning back in his seat. “No, we didn’t get the intel. We ran into a problem, and—”

He looks up. Allura is holding the card with a smile spread across her face.

Shiro grins.

“Hang tight, everyone,” he says. “We’re on our way.”


End file.
